Ultrafast Electron Correlations and Memory Effects at Work: Femtosecond Demagnetization in Ni
Abstract
Experimental observations of the ultrafast (less than 50 fs) demagnetization of Ni have so far defied theoretical explanations particularly since its spin-flipping time is much less than that resulting from spin-orbit and electron-lattice interactions. Through the application of an approach that benefits from spin-flip time-dependent density-functional theory and dynamical mean-field theory, we show that proper inclusion of electron correlations and memory (time dependence of electron-electron interaction) effects leads to demagnetization at the femtosecond scale, in good agreement with experimental observations. Furthermore, our calculations reveal that this ultrafast demagnetization results mainly from spin-flip transitions from occupied to unoccupied orbitals implying a dynamical reduction of exchange splitting. In this work, these conclusions are found to be valid for a wide range of laser pulse amplitudes. They also pave the way for ab initio investigations of ultrafast charge and spin dynamics in a variety of quantum materials in which electron correlations may play a definitive role.
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)
- Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute, IN (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute, IN (United States); Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1800368
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-06ER46304; FG02-07ER46354
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 125; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; Physics
Citation Formats
Acharya, Shree Ram, Turkowski, Volodymyr, Zhang, G. P., and Rahman, Talat S. Ultrafast Electron Correlations and Memory Effects at Work: Femtosecond Demagnetization in Ni. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.125.017202.
Acharya, Shree Ram, Turkowski, Volodymyr, Zhang, G. P., & Rahman, Talat S. Ultrafast Electron Correlations and Memory Effects at Work: Femtosecond Demagnetization in Ni. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.125.017202
Acharya, Shree Ram, Turkowski, Volodymyr, Zhang, G. P., and Rahman, Talat S. Tue .
"Ultrafast Electron Correlations and Memory Effects at Work: Femtosecond Demagnetization in Ni". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.125.017202. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1800368.
@article{osti_1800368,
title = {Ultrafast Electron Correlations and Memory Effects at Work: Femtosecond Demagnetization in Ni},
author = {Acharya, Shree Ram and Turkowski, Volodymyr and Zhang, G. P. and Rahman, Talat S.},
abstractNote = {Experimental observations of the ultrafast (less than 50 fs) demagnetization of Ni have so far defied theoretical explanations particularly since its spin-flipping time is much less than that resulting from spin-orbit and electron-lattice interactions. Through the application of an approach that benefits from spin-flip time-dependent density-functional theory and dynamical mean-field theory, we show that proper inclusion of electron correlations and memory (time dependence of electron-electron interaction) effects leads to demagnetization at the femtosecond scale, in good agreement with experimental observations. Furthermore, our calculations reveal that this ultrafast demagnetization results mainly from spin-flip transitions from occupied to unoccupied orbitals implying a dynamical reduction of exchange splitting. In this work, these conclusions are found to be valid for a wide range of laser pulse amplitudes. They also pave the way for ab initio investigations of ultrafast charge and spin dynamics in a variety of quantum materials in which electron correlations may play a definitive role.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevlett.125.017202},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 1,
volume = 125,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}
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